Virginia Creeper Vine Plants

About Virginia Creeper

• People sometimes mistake Virginia creeper for wild grape, a close relative in the grape family. So it's little surprise that Virginia creeper produces clusters of tiny purple-black berries in late summer and fall, not so tasty by human standards but much appreciated by birds. The vine grows in sun and shade -- generally producing better fall color in sunny spots -- and isn't picky about soil as long as it's well drained and the site doesn't attract standing water in winter. Vines can grow to 50 feet and more and will climb buildings, walls and trees with the help of holdfasts that secrete calcium carbonate and cement them in place.

Uses of Virginia Creeper

• Virginia creeper is "too rambunctious" for most gardens, according to the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension, but it is useful for covering an unsightly chain link fence and softening concrete walls. Espalier Virginia creeper along an otherwise ho-hum wall and even after leaves fall off the stems will create visual interest. It can be unforgettable when trained up the face of brick or concrete buildings and onto trellises. Because Virginia creeper will sprawl freely in the absence of support, it can be used as a deciduous ground cover; it will grow up to a foot deep, transforming its tendrils into roots.

Virginia Creeper Cultivars

• Several cultivars of Virginia creeper are less aggressive as vines and easier to use than the native species in most home landscapes. Most commonly seen is the more manageable cultivar Engelmanni, also known as Engelmann ivy, with smaller leaves and better clinging ability. The cultivar Monham, also known by its trademark name Star Showers, features splashes of white on its green leaves. Variegata has both yellow and white in its variegated leaves, and in fall it turns pink and red.

Problems with Virginia Creeper

• Because birds love the berries of Virginia creeper, just by eating them they spread the vine far and wide. You'll be pulling vines regularly to keep them from growing where you don't want them. While Virginia creeper is very decorative on trellises and many structures, growing it on wood-sided buildings is not advisable. Tendrils will mortar themselves into place between the boards -- making vines difficult to remove -- rain retained by so much dense foliage can cause moisture problems.